Murder: Trial of Peter Nielsen continues today

The trial of Danish national, Peter Nielsen, charged with killing his wife, Zainab, and the daughter, Petra, continues in Lagos today.

On Tuesday, Evelyn Gimba, housekeeper to the Danish national, testified at an Igbosere High Court that she did not witness any violence or rift between her employers, until the tragedy of 5 April, 2018.

Nielsen, 53, who was arraigned on June 13 and has since been remanded in prison, is standing trial on a two-count charge of murder.

At the resumed trial of the case on Tuesday, the housekeeper while being cross-examined by the defence counsel, Mr Olasupo Shasore (SAN), said:”I never witnessed any violence between my madam (deceased) and the husband (defendant).

“They were always happy and I never saw Peter (defendant) in a drunken state.”

Gimba told the court that on the day of the incident she did not hear any noise before getting up at 6.00 am to resume her duties.

She said she was unable to open the door leading to the kitchen which she usually opened to start her duties.

“I tried to open the door leading to the kitchen but it didn’t open so I went down stairs to the parlour.

“I called one of the children’s number but it was switched off. I knocked at the door several times before it was opened for me.

“I then asked the girl that opened the door what type of sleep she was still sleeping up to that time.

“The girl then told me that my madam and her husband were fighting the previous night. I saw little bruises on the defendant’s forehead and hand when he came out from his room.

“I went to the children’s room for my duties and then l heard Peter shouting from the kitchen, ‘Jesus’.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the housekeeper had earlier told the court during examination-in-chief that when she heard the defendant shouting, Jesus, she entered the kitchen and saw him carrying the deceased’s daughter.

She also said the defendant laid on the deceased’s wife’s body on the floor and was tapping her to wake up.

NAN reports that the housekeeper gave her evidence in Hausa but was translated into English.

She was led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr Adeniji Kazeem (SAN), the State Attorney General.

However, after the evidence of the witness, the defence counsel made an oral application urging the court to make the proof of evidence an actual evidence before the court.

Shasore made the application to quash the objection made by the prosecutor preventing the defence from asking a witness questions from her statement previously made at the police station.

Shasore said the statement of the witness at the police station which was attached in the proof evidence should be used to cross-examine the witness.

He said failure to do so violates the defendant’s constitutional rights which the state had sworn to uphold.

But the prosecutor in his response said, “we are not stopping the defence from cross-examining the witness, what we are saying is that he should tender the statement in evidence.”

Justice Mobolanle Okikiolu-Ighile after listening to the argument, adjourned ruling on the oral application until today.

The prosecutor had told the court that the defendant committed the offence on April 5 at 3.45 a.m. at their residence — No. 4 Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravenes Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015